Princess and the Frog
by justkeeptyping
Summary: 3rd Story in my Fairy tale Series. Unlucky in love Princess Mara meets Jerome, the 'frog' who believes that the only way to move out of the muddy and rotten home he's living in is to fool the Princess into falling in love with him. Oh Jerome, didn't you know that Mara's a whole lot smarter than that?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! I was so torn when choosing which story idea to go, I loved all of them. My favourite three (aside from this one) were Anastasia, Aladdin (Poppy as abu is awesome!), and the Snow Queen. All excellent ideas which I promise will be done. In two weeks I've got my summer, and I'll be writing every day **

**Enjoy!**

"Kiss me, Princess, and make me your prince." Said Derek, leaning towards Mara. But Mara stepped back, covered in gold, and she shook her head

"I am so sorry, Derek. But I do not love you," she brushed his hair from his face "And I fear you only love me, to become a prince," Derek said nothing, looking down guiltily "Go home, for I will not kiss you," And Derek, turned and left.

"Good," Nina, her maid said, escorting Mara back to her bedroom chambers "He wanted nothing but the title of being a prince, and you Princess Mara, you deserve better,"

"Maybe." Mara said with a sigh "Nina, all of the men that come through here, if they're Princes they want a more beautiful Princess, and if they're frogs, they want only for me to kiss them, so they can hold the title of Prince, and then one day, King."

"You'll find someone," Nina encouraged, holding the door open for her "And you are beautiful, more beautiful then all the other Princesses I have seen."

And Mara was beautiful. At least in some people's eyes. Flawless tanned skin, with long black hair, which hung straight, softly down her back. She was dressed in beautiful, shining silver and gold dresses and everything was tailor made and everything was perfect and she loved what she was. Her brown eyes sparkled and her pink lips, if ever tasted, would have tasted like roses.

"Maybe not." Mara walked out onto the balcony, and Nina followed hesitantly, she was new, and though she had quickly learnt that Mara was much kinder, and not at all spoilt like the Royalty she had worked for, she didn't know whether she should cross the servant/friendship line. "Nina, what if I'm doomed to a life of stuck up Princes and greedy Frogs?"

For all those who don't know, Mara's fathers kingdom, though great and beautiful and rich, of course suffered the extremes. On the outskirts of the Kingdom lived the people who had been banned from the main kingdom a long time ago. And though the banishment was gone, their homes had never been rebuilt. They lived in the muddy swamps, and were, therefore, called Frogs.

**Line Break**

Jerome Clarke was a frog.

And oh he hated it.

He would have done anything for a better chance at life. He detested the fact that people were just born into the roles they lived, it was luck and chance and Jerome just hated the fact that he had been dealt poor cards at the poker table that was his life. His parents were cruel, made bitter from their own experiences and his sister had gone. He was alone and he hated it.

"Derek?" he looked up, wiping the mud from his face as he saw his friend walk into their small town "She didn't kiss you?"

"No," he shook his head, brown hair flopping into his eyes sadly "She knew, she knew I didn't love her! Jerome! I messed up my one chance of getting out of this hell hole!" he kicked at the ground and Jerome empathised greatly. He ran his hand through his hair

"Should I have a go?"

"You?" Derek looked him up and down. Jerome wasn't bad looking. In fact, if born into the right family, he might have been quite handsome. And that was rare for Frogs. Very rare. "And if she did kiss you- you could get me out, right?"

"You were going to do the same for me," Jerome nodded in earnest "Do you think I should?"

"Definitely, but how are you going to do it? It's 50 gold pieces to get on the list, I'd been saving for years, and you blow every bit of gold you get on food," It was true. Jerome was healthy looking, for he spent every piece of gold he earned on food, whereas Derek had scrimped and saved and become rather skinny and sunken, just to get on the list.

"I'll have to meet her beyond the castle walls," Jerome admitted "Or you know…sneak in," his blue eyes glittered "Go get your brother Alfie, I have a plan."

**Line Break**

Mara pulled the silk robe tighter around her, leaning over her balcony, and she noted that it was a full moon tonight. And poor Mara Jaffray, poor Princess Mara Jaffray, 19, and not yet betrothed. Her father was kind and supportive, and her mother had nurtured her well, but neither of them had answers for the questions she had, even if she did have the courage to ask them. "Why, stars?" she asked, looking up at the twinkling silver dots "Why can't I be loved?"

When she heard a thump, she looked out over the vast gardens, and decided to investigate. She flew from her room and down into the maids room, luckily Nina was asleep. She picked up Nina's tattered coat and slipped it on over her nightgown, and headed out into the garden.

It didn't take her long, she rushed right over to the edge, where she saw a blond man sitting up, holding his leg in pain "Are you alright?" Mara asked quietly, edging closer. People tried to sneak into the palace gardens for all sorts of reasons, to get to the palace, to steal food-

"I just landed on my knee," Jerome hissed through clenched teeth. And Mara couldn't help but laugh. He looked up at her, arching an eyebrow as he stood slowly "I'm glad you think my pain is so funny, maid-" he looked her up and down, recognising her to be a maid, what with the tattered coat, and then he saw her face. Jerome Clarke had never seen the Princess, so he didn't know, but she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. "H-hi,"

Mara blinked at him, and understood then why he thought she was a maid. "No," she smiled at him "I-"

"Look, don't tell anyone I'm here, please," Jerome cut her off, looking right into her eyes "I'm a Frog, I just needed some food," the lie came so naturally. Mara arched an eyebrow at him

"Food for the traveller?" she questioned "Or are you sure you're not just here to get the Princess to fall in love with you so you become a prince?"

Jerome smiled, and Mara's heart broke "Seen my type before then?"

"Too many times," Mara sighed, leading him to the castle. He walked with a slight limp "If it's any help, the Princess won't fall for it. She's clever."

"I have no doubt that she is. But I'm just trying my luck, the heart wants what the hearts wants. My tactic," Jerome began, licking his lips "Is to be the first genuine guy she's met, she'll fall in love with me, and then it's plain sailing,"

"But you're not being genuine," Mara frowned "You'd be lying to her." Jerome shrugged

"Listen, you must have been a Frog at some point, right?" Mara nodded, lying "Well then you know, you know what it's like to go days without food, or without work and living for those tiny gold pieces that are just keeping you alive," his eyes blazed as they walked into the kitchen "You know what it's like to sleep in the cold and work in the heat and think that there's no way out. This Princess, she's my way out. She's our way out, there are people counting on me, counting on this to work. Me becoming a Prince…I'm like our last shot,"

Mara's heart did soften, but it didn't do much to relinquish the fact that it would still be her that got hurt in the end "Have some fruit," she said finally, Jerome smiled at her

"Not many maids that offer aid anymore," he took a bite from the apple and closed his eyes smiling "God, I'd forgotten how much I liked these,"

"We have plenty," Mara smiled "A whole orchard full of them, take as many as you like," and they spent the night picking apples, and Jerome snuck back to the dirty old town, as Mara went back up to her room, replacing Nina's jacket.

**Line Break**

"Nina?" Mara said quietly, she had been on cloud nine last night, the best time of her life. To hang out with a boy who…who didn't want to be with her to be a prince, although he did…but he didn't know it was her. Oh the whole thing was very confusing "I'm going to need your help,"

"Whatever you wish, Princess."

And Mara turned, telling the Nina the whole story, and Nina watched, a smile gracing her face at the beginning of the love story "…and now I need you to be the Princess when Jerome comes, and I'll be the maid- so the whole thing doesn't fall apart,"

"Oh Mara!" Nina hugged her tightly "Of course I will, but what will you do when he finds out, because he will,"

"I don't know," Mara shook her head, eyes bright "All I know is- I've never had more fun than I have with him," Nina squealed and hugged Mara again tightly.

**Line Break**

"Here," Jerome threw the bag at Alfie who caught it ,and then dropped it. It was heavy "Apples," he laughed, Derek's eyes widened "A whole bag of apples," the two boys grabbed three each, and started eating as if they were going to disappear in a second "I haven't seen the Princess, but I met the most amazing servant girl, we spent the whole night talking and picking apples, and you should see her," Jerome ran his hand through his hair, collapsing on his small tatty bed "She's beautiful."

Alfie laughed loudly "Mate, I hope you're not falling for the Help instead of her Highness,"

"Of course not." Jerome said, shaking his head "No way. She was just…nice. I plan on impressing the Princess tomorrow. Don't worry guys, this won't change a thing."

**I just bet it will! REVIEW!**

**x**


	2. Chapter 2

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**Enjoy**

Nina felt weird in fine silk. Wearing Mara's dresses, it felt weird and the texture was too smooth and too cool to her skin. It made her shiver, and the shoes were slightly too small, not unbearingly so, just something she noticed. And the crown on her weighed a lot for something so delicate. Mara smiled at her "You look really pretty Nina,"

"And you manage to make servant clothes look pretty," Mara rolled her eyes as the stars twinkled outside.

"I'm gonna go and get him, introduce the two of you, and then hopefully spend the rest of the night with him," Mara clapped her hands and headed into the garden.

She was there early, but only by a few moments. After a while, Jerome jumped over the hedge, and this time landed in a crouch, so he only needed to brush of his trousers. He smiled when he saw her "Hey Jaffray,"

"Hello Jerome," she smiled, ecstatic to see him, and the nickname he had given her. Jaffray, no one had ever spoken to her like that before, and the informality was nice. She had never experienced it before. "I could take you to the Princess, only for a bit though?"

"Thanks," he nodded, following her to the castle.

**Line Break**

"Hello, beautiful Princess," Jerome bowed lowly to Nina, kissing her hand. Nina couldn't stop the blush that rose to her cheeks. Jerome was good looking, she couldn't deny that, no man had ever flirted with her, she was after all, only a servant girl.

"Good to meet you," she smiled "I take it, you are a Frog?"

"But I do not act like the other needy soulless one. I bet the others just compliment you and wait for you to fall in love with them so that they can become Princes?"

Nina didn't feel this way. She never had, so she immediately saw into Jerome's game and gave a fake smile "Quite. I'm busy this evening, so why don't you come again tomorrow and I'll see you then, good bye."

Jerome frowned at this odd goodbye, and wondered what he had said. The Doorstop escorted Nina away. He turned and headed back to the kitchen where Mara was sitting reading. "You can read?" he asked in disbelief. Mara smiled at him

"Yes, can you?"

"Yeah…not well, but just about." He put his hands into his pockets licking his lips "Tell me though, how does a servant girl learn to read?"

Mara lied through her teeth "Self taught."

Jerome laughed "Right, no it's fine. We're all ashamed of our pasts. Try to blot it out with lies," he fell into the chair beside her. And felt somewhat proud, he was just lying around the castle, sure it wasn't the main castle, just the servant quarters, but still. Same building.

"Do you do that?" Mara asked curiously, closing the book "A lot?"

"All the time," Jerome ran a hand through his hair "The Princess seems a bit weird,"

"Weird?"

"Yeah…I don't know, just off." He shrugged. And saw Mara staring at him "You wanna hear about my past don't you, Jaffray?" Mara nodded shame faced

"Sorry, I know it's a private affair-"

"No," Jerome waved her off "I mean…you were only wondering. And you seem…" his eyes flitted up and down her and she thought she saw his pupils dilate, his voice broke confirming her thoughts and he stumbled out with the word she didn't think he really wanted to say "…_trustworthy," _Mara tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear "Mara," he said "Did you know you're…you're kinda…beautiful."

Mara thought her heart had stopped. She had been called beautiful many times, by Princes and Frogs alike, her mum and dad, her subjects, and Nina…but when Jerome said it…it seemed to have a different meaning. A meaning she liked. "No," she shook her head, cheeks colouring red "I'm not,"

"And modest," Jerome looked up to the ceiling and muttered under his breath "Great." And Jerome's head was racing, god…why was she so damn perfect? "Well…I was born…"

And Jerome told her everything. About his parents and his sister, and his big plan to help out his friend Derek and his brother Alfie.

"Derek?" Mara's voice broke, the poor boy she had sent out of the palace without another thought. "I…saw him around here…he…he was um…sent out by the Princess,"

"Not good enough I guess," Jerome whispered "I hope I am."

"I'm sure you will be." Mara said quickly, then rethinking her words "The Princess…whenever Frogs and Princes come in…she doesn't really think of them as people," and as Mara said it, she realised how closed minded she really was "She doesn't think they have a back story…they're just people who want to use her…I don't- she doesn't even wonder why,"

"You must know her pretty well," Jerome stated "Friends?"

"Kinda…" Mara looked up at him and smiled "You know what I think, Jerome?"

"What?"

"I think…Poppy would be really proud of her big brother." She didn't notice Jerome's eyes sparkle as she spoke, or his cheeks tint…ever so slightly pink, she couldn't hear his heart speed up, and she couldn't feel the wall around his heart lowering "I mean…" she looked hard at the floor "You can read and you can write, and you're doing things for other people, putting them in front of yourself and…you care," Mara looked up with a meaningful look in her voice "You're a pretty good role model,"

Jerome opened his mouth to say something, but it so much nothing really processed correctly. So he jutted his thumb in the direction of the door "Bye," he managed to whisper, but he wasn't even sure if she heard.

**Line Break**

"Jerome?" Derek asked eagerly as Jerome walked back into the house

"I had a really great time," Jerome grinned, floating into bed, and closing his eyes. Alfie and Derek high-fived, but of course, they had the completely wrong idea…

**Or do they? I mean, when you think about it, they think Jerome was having a good time with the Princess, which he was. Only Jerome meant that he was having a good time with the help, which he wasn't. So really…Derek and Alfie assumed correctly…ah…it's the art of getting by guys!**

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**x**


	3. Chapter 3

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**Enjoy!**

"Princess, not the help," Jerome muttered under his breath, feeling he hadn't made enough progress with the Princess, and that the feelings he was developing towards Mara…they weren't good. So he chanted the two words over and over again, but his mind wiped clean when he saw Mara. He hopped over the hedge and landed in a crouch, grinning at her. "Hey," he wiped his hand through his hair sideways

"Wanna see the Princess?"

"Not particularly," he said truthfully "She's not much fun to be around," Mara looked up at him, waiting for the but. "But I suppose we have too," Mara nodded, and they began to walk to the castle.

"Have you ever wondered what's going to happen if she falls in love with you?" Mara looked up at him and Jerome's eyes blazed down into her as he shrugged

"The plan would have worked,"

"You'd have to marry her," Mara said softly, wondering how this whole thing really was going to pan out. "Would you be okay with that? Tricking her? Lying to her?"

Jerome swallowed thickly, as they entered the servant quarters "It's not ideal, and she doesn't deserve it, but the people living in poverty don't deserve that either!" his voice rose as he tried to prove his point, and Mara nodded

"I know," she said gently "I'm just wondering…"

**Line Break**

Nina couldn't help but blush as Jerome brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear "So, what do you do for a living?"

Jerome grinned at her, and Nina, never having this close proximation to a boy blushed at his handsome smile. "Nothing much, it's boring, I switch to whatever's paying the most money, you know, anything for a decent meal."

"Conditions must be quite bad on the outskirts,"

"What you gonna do?"

**Line Break**

"How did it go?" Mara asked, somewhat nervously. Jerome smiled at her

"Better. I think she's starting to like me. And…in some ways, that's a good thing," the two of them walked into the cool night, and Mara let them to the far end of the garden, where the grass was longer and more unruly. The stars shone brightly on the dark blue sky, and it was easy to see.

"When was the last time you swung?" Mara asked, skipping over to the swing set, she pulled herself onto one, for they were quite high, and began swinging back and forth. Jerome arched an eyebrow

"Not since I was much younger, we use to have a playground in the Swamps. It…got ruined by the flood a few years ago," Mara said nothing, swinging wordlessly, and Jerome joined her. Soon having as much fun as she was. "We use to play this game," Jerome breathed heavily, as they swung higher and higher, they were swinging in unison. "We both let go on three and the person who get's farther wins,"

Mara's eyes widened "Jerome! One of us could get hurt!"

"We'll land on grass!" Jerome reassured her with a grin "Live a little!" he timed it perfectly "One, two…three!" they both let go at the same time, Mara rather reluctantly, and both rolled into the grass, colliding at some point, both laughing as the adrenaline rushed through them.

Jerome groaned, he had landed beside Mara, one arm above her, caging her down. Their laughter died down and suddenly it was very real. Mara looked up at him, and Jerome bent his elbow, lowering himself down to kiss her very softly. Mara kissed back very gently, her first kiss, and then pushed himself away from her, one leg lying flat, the other one drawn up to his chest and he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Damn." He muttered under his voice. Mara sat up sadly, touching his shoulder reassuringly

"It'll be okay," She whispered. A strong breeze rattled every blade of grass around them, and Jerome shook his head.

"No it won't."

**Line Break**

"I'm not going back." Jerome stated, Derek frowned "I kissed the help." Alfie burst out laughing, but Derek was nowhere near as amused with the situation

"You what?"

"I couldn't help myself," Jerome groaned, eyes clenched tightly shut "I _really _like her."

"Jerome!" Derek kicked at the ground in frustration "Don't do this! We need you to get the Princess to like you! Not the help!"

"The Princess does like me!" Jerome nodded, quite confidently "But I don't like her! I like Mara."

Derek stopped pacing agitatedly "Mara?" he asked "The help's name is Mara?" Jerome nodded, not knowing what this added to the conversation "Mara…Jaffray?" Again, another nod. Alfie didn't realise either, and he watched cluelessly "Pretty, brown eyes, long dark hair, tanned skin-"

"Yeah." Jerome arched an eyebrow at him "So you know what she looks like,"

Derek doubled over with laughter. His eyes watered as his laughter echoed around the small room. Alfie laughed nervously but Jerome just watched in confusion. "Jerome-" he managed to get out "She's the princess!"

Jerome shook his head "No, I've seen the Princess, long brown hair, quite pale, blue eyes-"

"That's the help! Oh gosh, she really got you, didn't she?"

**Line Break**

Jerome didn't smile at her as he leapt over the hedge. He just looked down at her, rather disappointedly. "Something to tell me?" he asked quizzically. Mara frowned at him, before smiling

"Not really,"

"Are you sure? Your highness," he bowed lowly and Mara gasped. He had found out. Much earlier than she thought he would. "I can't believe you didn't tell me- I told you everything! You dressed your maid up as the Princess!"

"Jerome, the first time was a complete misunderstanding! And then…I just wanted to see if you'd like me when I wasn't a Princess." It was fair. Jerome saw that, everything she wanted was fair. She wanted someone to love her for her, not her title. And Jerome did like her, a lot, before he found out she was Princess. Surely that should make him happy? He had everything he wanted- but it didn't. She had lied to him, as soon as they had met. Even he had more class than that

"Mara- I really liked you."

"I like you too,"

Jerome looked down at her, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was talking to her Highness, Princess Mara Jaffray. Not just some ordinary girl. Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips "I was your first kiss, wasn't I?" Mara nodded, Jerome pressed his lips together, cried out in pain.

"Jerome!" Mara cried, for now in his shoulder was a golden arrow, and his red blood was trickling down his arm. Mara turned to see her father, and four guards all with arrows aiming for Jerome "Go!" she pushed him towards the hedge. Jerome managed to clamber up to the top, but he turned back to her

"Your dad's not gonna let me see you," he cried out, wincing as pulled the arrow out of his arm. But he didn't let go of it.

"Jerome!" Mara cried, the guards were getting closer, and Jerome threw his good arm down towards her

"Come with me," he whispered, blue eyes blazing into hers. Whatever doubts he was having before, vanished at the very thought of not being able to see her. Mara looked up at him in complete shock. "Mara come with me," another arrow was fired and just missed his head

"Jerome…_Go!" _

"Not without you."

Mara looked from him to her father and the fast approaching guards and-

**You'll have to wait till next time to see what she does!**

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**X**

**PS Any thoughts on what she will do?**


	4. Chapter 4

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**Enjoy!**

Mara burst into Derek's house, clutching the bleeding Jerome. Derek and Alfie both leapt up, at the sight of their bleeding friend, and the sight of the beautiful princess standing in their rotting house. "Help," she whispered, setting Jerome down. Derek examined the cut, and quite quickly and rationally bandaged it up tightly, then he and Alfie placed Jerome on his bed. Mara watched them

"Aren't you going to take him to the Healer?"

"We live in the Swamps," Derek sighed, sitting down on the wooden chair "We don't have healers."

"Oh," Mara watched Jerome on the bed, before turning to Alfie, sticking her hand out "Hello, I'm Mara," Alfie nodded dumbly, high-fiving her. Mara frowned and Derek rolled his eyes

"Sorry Princess Mara, Alfie's not accustomed to dealing with royalty."

**Line Break**

"Then Search Everywhere!" the King demanded "She wouldn't just run away! He must have been threatening her! I will not rest until she is brought back safely!" all the royal guards nodded and went out to search the Kingdom.

**Line Break**

Jerome frowned. The first thing he registered, before his eyes even opened was that his shoulder hurt. He sat up, and almost jumped up at the sight of Mara sitting beside him. "Mara…" he whispered "Y-you came with me?" his tone was one of complete disbelief, even though he had been there, when Mara decided.

Mara managed a small smile "Apple?" she offered it to him, and he took it, never taking his eyes off hers "Um…Derek and Alfie left saying they had to go to work…"

"Yeah," Jerome nodded, and then his eyes widened "Right. You're gonna need a job,"

"A job?" Mara asked, almost in disbelief "What?"

"Well Mara- you can't go back. And we're gonna need more income to support four people," he went into the back room, and handed her brown shorts and a tattered black shirt. Mara arched a delicate eyebrow "A girl named Patricia use to live with us. She got married to this foreigner, with a funny accent,"

"And I have to wear…_Patricia's _old clothes because…"

Jerome laughed, ruffling her hair "Mara, you'll get mugged if you go out wearing a dress embroided with diamonds, we can sell it though, might get us a few gold coins."

Mara gaped in disbelief.

**Line Break**

A job, it was something Mara had never thought she'd have. Not that ruling her Kingdom some day wouldn't be work. But she never expected…manual labour. Trudging through the hot streets bare foot, because according to Jerome shoes were worth far too much. And though she was exhausted, and she wasn't very good at chipping at the rock wall for tiny bits of diamond, it made her smile to see Jerome and Derek and Alfie making the day more bearable.

With constant jokes and pranks, and songs that Jerome would groan at, with Alfie's stories and Derek's sarcastic retorts. It made everything much more bearable. And they all sat around the tiny table and ate their first warm meal together.

**Line Break**

Nina Martin was stuck. Stuck and confused. She could have a good guess that Mara had run off with the Frog, but she didn't know whether she should tell the King that piece of information. So Nina remained quiet, and hoped that Mara would return soon.

**Line Break**

"I have this cousin," Mara smiled, Derek and Jerome were asleep. It was only she and Alfie. "Her name's Amber, she's the Princess of this Kingdom on the other side of the ocean…I think you should meet her, she loves magic tricks."

Alfie grinned sleepily, shuffling the dirty pack of cards "I'd like to travel," he said tiredly. "Jerome doesn't like travelling, but I…I want to see the whole world,"

Mara smiled at his sadly "No one's seen the whole world Alfie. It's impossible,"

"It's not," Alfie whispered eagerly "I've had dreams about it, and I've seen like half of it already, without even leaving this place,"

"Through your dreams?" Mara smiled at his imagination, never had she met someone with so much creativity and imagination. It was frowned upon in the palace to dream of leaving the palace. And Mara never had. She loved her home and her family…she supposed she must…she turned to look at the gently snoring blond boy…she must love Jerome more.

"Why don't you go back to the Palace and become Princess and Prince?" Alfie asked quietly "If you explained everything, they'd let you back,"

"I don't know if I want to go back," Mara whispered "I mean…things aren't that bad here, we could all live happily?"

Alfie pressed his lips together "We all want a better life Mara, we're all so tired of being frogs,"

"I'm sorry,"

"Maybe we could all just travel," Alfie whispered "Get a boat and go somewhere else, somewhere richer, somewhere more beautiful and all just live happy normal lives,"

Derek coughed badly in his sleep, and Mara looked down at her hands, filled with guilt.


	5. Chapter 5

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"How would you like to live Jerome?" Mara whispered, picking at a diamond in the wall. "I mean…as King and Queen…or as two humble frogs? Or maybe we could travel somewhere else, and start a new life?"

Jerome turned to her, one eyebrow arched, before smiling "You've never had to make a decision before have you?" he teased

"I did make a decision." Mara argued "I chose to come with you, instead of staying home and ruling the Kingdom,"

"Thank you," Jerome said, face becoming sincere and serious. "For doing that…by the way," he gave her a reassuring smile. "And anyway…we can live however you'd like. If you want us to be King and Queen, two _humble _frogs," he shot her a wolfish grin "Or travelling…although I must say, I've never really dreamed of travelling,"

"Alfie said," she nodded with a frown "Why?"

"Exactly," Jerome nodded "Why stray from home? Why do I need to see more than this? I mean…apart from the longing for better food and shelter…I am content."

**Line Break**

"Come on," Jerome whispered, Mara yawned sleepily, quite comfortable on her little make shift bed. "Come on, Jaffray," he tugged at her hand like a child and Mara forced herself up.

"What are we doing up so early?" she asked drearily, leaning into him, Jerome wrapped his arm around her, leading her outside, it was still quite dim, as he led her up to dusty hill.

"Have you ever watched the sunrise?"

"Do I need to?" Mara yawned, snuggling into his chest "I know that it rises, and that it sets."

"No," Jerome shook his head with a quiet chuckle, which sent peaceful vibrations down his torso, which made Mara shudder. They stopped at the top, and Jerome shrugged off his tattered coat so that they could sit on it. "Now watch," either he had rehearsed, or Jerome was the luckiest person in the world, for the sun began to rise. And it was beautiful. The sun streaked the azure sky and the clouds lit up lilac and for a second, Mara forgot that she was in the poorest part of the city.

"Wow."

"You can't get views like that from the palace,"

Mara turned to look at him, but he wasn't watching her. He was looking out to the horizon. "Is…that your way of telling me that you don't want to become King and Queen?"

"Oh Jaffray," he turned to look down at her, and the sunlight formed a golden halo around his head "When you're the Queen, you make that scenario look perfect."

"But it's not?"

"No," he whispered, kissing her forehead "Mara Jaffray, I don't want to be King. I never really did, I just wanted better than now, but…just you being here makes this Frog life better, I mean, I know it's not really helping Derek or Alfie, but I'm happy. And I haven't been for a while."

"Jerome," she whispered, "I'm…I'm going to have to go back. I…have a Kingdom to rule, and my father has no other heirs and I love this place. I have to take care of the people in it,"

"You want to be Queen," Jerome realised, stroking hair from her face

"And you don't want to be King,"

Jerome hung his head "What's wrong with me?" his voice broke, and Mara wanted to cry for him. "I'm being given the chance to rule a Kingdom with the girl of my dreams. I'm being given the chance to save my friends and live the life I always wanted."

"Simplicity suits some," Mara stood, and hugged herself "Will you come and visit?"

"I…I don't want you to leave-"

"He's dead!" came a hysterical voice, people started coming out of their houses due to the old womans frantic yelling "The King is dead! THE KING IS DEAD!"

**Line Break**

"I was being silly," Mara whispered to Nina, she was crying. Crying real hard. "So so silly to run away Nina!" she hugged the servant girl tightly, and Mara wanted to cry for her. "And n-now he's gone and I never even got to say goodbye!"

"Your father's watching," Nina whispered "From the stars, he can see you love him," Nina wiped her tears "Mara, you've got to go out onto the balcony and make a speech to all of these people, and you need to be the strong and independent Mara I know you to be,"

Mara nodded, and stepped out into the sunshine. The entire Kingdom was there "H-hello," she greeted quietly, and then remembered everything her father had taught her, she wished the stars to be here now, but all she saw was the blue sky "It is with heavy heart that I stand before you! As I know my late father did when he was but 16! I am now your Queen! And I love each and every one of you! And I know that if we work together, we can reap the rewards…"

**Line Break**

_Jaffray, _

_I watched the speech you gave, I wasn't going to go, but how could I resist seeing you one last time? Know that I love you, and know that your fathers death was not your fault. You followed your heart, and your father would have wished you to do so. _

_You have no obligation to write back- and yes, Alfie says hi._

_Miss you,_

_Jerome._

It didn't end on a kiss, and that broke Mara's heart. She had only kissed him once, and right afterwards he had uttered words of regret. But he loved her, and she loved him and she wished he could just be King. "Are you going to write a reply?" asked Nina quietly. Mara wiped her eyes

"I…I…I'm in love with him,"

"No one else can rule," Nina whispered "It's only you."

"Then I'll have to talk him into it," Mara grabbed her cloak and headed out towards the stables "He'll listen to me,"

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**x**


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